What Is a Hunt Group and How Do Small Businesses Use It for Smart Call Routing?

Managing incoming calls efficiently is a common challenge for small businesses and startups. Whether it’s a potential lead or a customer needing support, missed calls often mean missed revenue or lost trust. That’s why it’s essential to have a system in place that ensures every call gets answered by someone on your team. 

This is where hunt groups come in: a call routing feature in business phone systems that distributes incoming calls across a group of team members. 

In this guide, we’ll explain what a hunt group is, how it works, and how to easily set one up, so you can improve response times, reduce missed calls, and streamline your business communications.

What Is a Hunt Group? 

A hunt group, also known as a call hunt group or line hunt group, is a business phone system feature that routes incoming calls from a single phone number to a group of team members or phone lines. Instead of connecting callers to just one person, the system intelligently distributes calls across multiple users based on predefined routing rules. 

When a call comes in, the system "hunts" through the list of assigned operators ringing each phone in a specific order (or simultaneously, depending on the setup) until someone answers. This increases the chances of a live response, reduces missed calls, and helps ensure a seamless customer experience. 

VoIP Hunt Groups vs. PBX Hunt Groups 

Telephone hunt groups originally emerged from traditional PBX (Private Branch Exchange) systems — on-premises phone networks that routed calls internally within a business. In classic PBX setups, hunt groups required physical hardware and were limited by the constraints of the local infrastructure. Expanding or reconfiguring call routing often meant costly upgrades and manual intervention. 

Modern VoIP hunt groups, by contrast, offer the same core functionality but with the flexibility and scalability of the cloud. You can configure hunt group settings from any device and add or remove hunt group members in real time. 

How Does a Hunt Group Work? 

The concept behind a hunt group is simple yet powerful: a single phone number or extension serves as a shared contact point for a team. When someone calls that number, the system automatically “hunts” for an available agent in the group based on the routing strategy you’ve configured. 

Common Hunt Group Call Distribution Strategies 

One of the key advantages of hunt groups is the ability to customize how calls are distributed among team members. Here are the most common call routing methods used in business phone systems: 

1. Longest idle: Routes the call to the team member who has been idle the longest, i.e., the person who hasn’t taken a call in the longest amount of time. This strategy helps evenly distribute workload and prevents the same agents from being overloaded. 
2. Round robin (Circular hunting): Distributes calls in a rotating order among team members. If the first call goes to Agent A, the next will go to Agent B, and so on. Once the last agent is reached, the sequence starts over.  Round-robin ensures fair distribution of calls, making it ideal for sales or support teams where workload balance matters. 
3. Simultaneous ring: Rings all phones in the group at the same time. The first person to pick up handles the call. This method provides the fastest response time and ensures that someone answers as quickly as possible. It’s particularly effective for time-sensitive inquiries. 
4. Sequential hunt (Linear): Calls are routed in a fixed, predefined order, starting with the first person on the list and moving down one by one until someone answers.  This is useful if you want to prioritize specific agents (e.g., senior staff or team leads). However, it may result in uneven call distribution if the first person is frequently available. 
5. Skills-based routing: Routes calls based on agent expertise or skill level. You can assign ratings or weights to each agent, ensuring that calls go to the person best equipped to handle the inquiry. This is especially valuable in environments like technical support, where customers may require specialized assistance. 

Hunt Group vs. Ring Group 

Although the terms hunt group and ring group are often used interchangeably, there’s a subtle but important distinction between the two. 

A hunt group gives you the flexibility to choose from various call distribution strategies, such as round robin, longest idle, sequential, or skills-based routing. This allows you to tailor how calls are routed based on your team structure, workload distribution, or customer service priorities. 

In contrast, a ring group typically uses a simultaneous ring method where all phones in the group ring at the same time, and the first person to answer takes the call. 

While simpler in design, ring groups are highly effective for small teams that value speed and responsiveness, such as front-desk staff or small support teams. 

Hunt Group vs. Pickup Group 

These two features sound somewhat alike but serve completely different purposes in practice. Let’s clarify the difference between hunt group and pickup group. 

When someone calls a shared number assigned to a hunt group, the system automatically rings available team members - no action is required from the caller or employees. The call is routed according to the configured hunt logic and is answered by the first available person. 

A call pickup group, on the other hand, is designed for manual call interception. Phones in a pickup group don’t all ring when a call comes in. Instead, if one person’s phone is ringing, another team member in the same group can manually pick up the call by dialing a special feature code (commonly *8 or a similar short code). 

Hunt Group vs. Call Queue 

Another common comparison is between hunt groups and call queues. While they may seem similar at first, both aim to connect callers with available agents, but they operate very differently and are suited for different use cases. 

A call queue is a more advanced feature, commonly used in contact centers and customer support teams that handle high volumes of incoming calls. When all agents are busy, callers are placed in a virtual waiting line, where they hear hold music or custom messages like “Your call is important to us. Please stay on the line.” If a caller doesn’t want to wait, they may be offered an automated callback option. As soon as an agent becomes available, the system automatically connects the next caller in line. 

A hunt group, by contrast, is designed for immediate call routing. When a call comes in, the system attempts to connect the caller to an available agent using a predefined method. If no one answers, the call is not placed in a queue. Instead, the system follows a fallback rule, such as forwarding the call to voicemail, a backup number, or ending the call. 

When Do Small Businesses Use Hunt Groups? 

Hunt groups are a powerful tool for small businesses and teams that manage incoming calls collectively. Here are some of the most common scenarios where hunt groups make a real difference: 

• Customer service teams: Instead of sending unanswered calls to voicemail, hunt groups route incoming calls to the next available agent, ensuring faster responses and better customer satisfaction. 
• Technical support: Hunt groups can route calls to qualified technicians based on their availability and skills, helping deliver real-time problem resolution. This ensures customers quickly reach someone who can assist with complex issues. 
• Sales teams: Missed calls can mean missed revenue. Hunt groups help make sure every lead gets answered by routing inbound sales calls to the next available sales rep. This improves response time and increases conversion rates. 
• Field service & dispatch centers: Whether it’s a plumbing company or an on-site repair service, hunt groups ensure that urgent customer calls reach a responder or dispatcher quickly, even during peak hours. 
• Medical practices & clinics: Route patient calls to available front desk staff for scheduling, insurance questions, or prescription refills, ensuring no patient is left waiting. 
• Accounting & financial services: Help clients connect quickly to available accountants or advisors during tax season or busy financial periods. 

Why Do Small Businesses Use Hunt Groups? 

While hunt groups may seem like a basic phone system feature, they deliver real business value, especially for small teams that need to stay responsive without added complexity. From missed calls to inefficient routing, hunt groups help solve everyday challenges with simple, automated logic. 

Here’s how they make a difference: 

1. Reduce missed calls: Don’t risk losing leads or frustrating customers. If one person is busy, the system automatically routes the call to the next available team member, so no call goes unanswered. 
2. Balance call distribution: Avoid burnout and keep workloads fair. Hunt groups distribute calls across your team using smart routing strategies like round robin or longest idle. 
3. Use one central business number: Maintain a professional image with one main number that connects customers to your whole team, no more juggling multiple contact lines. 
4. Increase team efficiency: Calls go directly to the right person, reducing internal transfers, hold times, and confusion, so your team can focus on what matters. 
5. Enhance customer experience: Faster responses and fewer hand-offs create a smoother, more satisfying experience for your customers, helping you build stronger relationships. 

How to Set Up Hunt Group in Phone System? 

Setting up a hunt group in a VoIP phone system is usually quick and straightforward. While the exact process may vary slightly depending on your provider, the general steps are consistent across most platforms: 

Step 1: Create a Hunt Group and Assign Operators 

Start by deciding which team or department the hunt group will support, such as sales or support. Then in your phone system’s admin settings, create a new hunt group, give it a name, and add the operators who should receive calls. 

Step 2: Assign a Hunt Group Phone Number 

Link a dedicated business phone number to the hunt group. This number becomes the public contact point that triggers the call distribution logic. Customers calling this number will automatically be routed through the hunt group you’ve configured. 

Step 3: Set Custom Business Hours and Fallback Options 

Define the group’s active business hours so calls only route during your business's open times. For after-hours or holidays, configure fallback actions, such as forwarding to voicemail or an AI voice agent.

Step 4: Choose a Call Distribution Method 

Choose how the calls will be distributed to the group members. As discussed, you can set the hunting order or pattern: sequential (in a specified order), simultaneous (all ring), round-robin, longest idle, etc. 

Select how incoming calls should be routed to team members.  As discussed, common routing options include sequential (in a specified order), simultaneous (all ring), round-robin, longest idle, etc. Choose the one that best fits your workflow and call-handling priorities. 

Step 5: Test the Hunt Group Setup 

After everything is configured, call the hunt group number to verify that the ringing sequence or pattern works as intended. Ensure that if one person answers, the call connects, and if no one answers, the call flows to the designated fallback (voicemail, etc.). 

Conclusion 

While hunt groups may seem like a basic phone system feature, they offer a cost-effective way to streamline how your team handles incoming calls. By automatically distributing calls across team members, hunt groups help reduce missed calls, improve response times, and deliver a more professional experience for your customers. 

If your small business or startup relies on live communication, setting up a hunt group could be the simple upgrade that keeps your customers happy and gives your team the flexibility they need. 

With DialLink’s AI cloud phone system you can go beyond the basic hunt and ring groups. Easily build an automated call management system that handles every incoming call with intelligence and precision while delivering a better calling experience for your customers.

Try DialLink for free today.